Melon hybrid SV5845MP and parents thereof

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seed and plants of melon hybrid SV5845MP and the parent lines thereof. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of melon hybrid SV5845MP and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a melon plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another melon plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Appl. Ser. No.62/062,501, filed Oct. 10, 2014, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, morespecifically, to the development of melon hybrid SV5845MP and the inbredmelon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The goal of vegetable breeding is to combine various desirable traits ina single variety/hybrid. Such desirable traits may include any traitdeemed beneficial by a grower and/or consumer, including greater yield,resistance to insects or disease, tolerance to environmental stress, andnutritional value.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination.There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates ifpollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower ofthe same plant or plant variety. A plant cross-pollinates if pollencomes to it from a flower of a different plant variety.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for type over manygenerations become homozygous at almost all gene loci and produce auniform population of true breeding progeny, a homozygous plant. A crossbetween two such homozygous plants of different genotypes produces auniform population of hybrid plants that are heterozygous for many geneloci. Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at a number ofloci produces a population of hybrid plants that differ genetically andare not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makes performanceunpredictable.

The development of uniform varieties requires the development ofhomozygous inbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and theevaluation of the crosses. Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection areexamples of breeding methods that have been used to develop inbredplants from breeding populations. Those breeding methods combine thegenetic backgrounds from two or more plants or various other broad-basedsources into breeding pools from which new lines and hybrids derivedtherefrom are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes.The new lines and hybrids are evaluated to determine which of those havecommercial potential.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a melon plant of thehybrid designated SV5845MP, the melon line SPAHK11-0054AN or melon lineSPAHK11-0072AN. Also provided are melon plants having all thephysiological and morphological characteristics of such a plant. Partsof these melon plants are also provided, for example, including pollen,an ovule, scion, a rootstock, a fruit, and a cell of the plant.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of melon hybrid SV5845MPand/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN comprising an addedheritable trait is provided. The heritable trait may comprise a geneticlocus that is, for example, a dominant or recessive allele. In oneembodiment of the invention, a plant of melon hybrid SV5845MP and/ormelon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN is defined as comprising asingle locus conversion. In specific embodiments of the invention, anadded genetic locus confers one or more traits such as, for example,herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance, and modifiedcarbohydrate metabolism. In further embodiments, the trait may beconferred by a naturally occurring gene introduced into the genome of aline by backcrossing, a natural or induced mutation, or a transgeneintroduced through genetic transformation techniques into the plant or aprogenitor of any previous generation thereof. When introduced throughtransformation, a genetic locus may comprise one or more genesintegrated at a single chromosomal location.

The invention also concerns the seed of melon hybrid SV5845MP and/ormelon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN. The melon seed of theinvention may be provided, in particular embodiments, as an essentiallyhomogeneous population of melon seed of melon hybrid SV5845MP and/ormelon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN. Essentially homogeneouspopulations of seed are generally free from substantial numbers of otherseed. Therefore, seed of hybrid SV5845MP and/or melon linesSPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN may be provided, in certainembodiments of the invention, as forming at least about 97% of the totalseed, including at least about 98%, 99% or more of the seed. The seedpopulation may be separately grown to provide an essentially homogeneouspopulation of melon plants designated SV5845MP and/or melon linesSPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerablecells of a melon plant of hybrid SV5845MP and/or melon linesSPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN is provided. The tissue culture willpreferably be capable of regenerating melon plants capable of expressingall of the physiological and morphological characteristics of thestarting plant, and of regenerating plants having substantially the samegenotype as the starting plant. Examples of some of the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of the hybrid SV5845MP and/or melonlines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN include those traits set forthin the tables herein. The regenerable cells in such tissue cultures maybe derived, for example, from embryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen,leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistils, flowers, seed and stalks.Still further, the present invention provides melon plants regeneratedfrom a tissue culture of the invention, the plants having all thephysiological and morphological characteristics of hybrid SV5845MPand/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided forproducing melon seeds, plants and fruit, which processes generallycomprise crossing a first parent melon plant with a second parent melonplant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent melon plantsis a plant of melon line SPAHK11-0054AN or melon line SPAHK11-0072AN.These processes may be further exemplified as processes for preparinghybrid melon seed or plants, wherein a first melon plant is crossed witha second melon plant of a different, distinct genotype to provide ahybrid that has, as one of its parents, a plant of melon lineSPAHK11-0054AN or melon line SPAHK11-0072AN. In these processes,crossing will result in the production of seed. The seed productionoccurs regardless of whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing”comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent melon plant, oftenin proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediated byinsect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually. Wherethe plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without the need fordirect human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first andsecond parent melon plants into plants that bear flowers. A third stepmay comprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as byemasculating the flowers (i.e., killing or removing the pollen).

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination betweenthe first and second parent melon plants. Yet another step comprisesharvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent melon plants. Theharvested seed can be grown to produce a melon plant or hybrid melonplant.

The present invention also provides the melon seeds and plants producedby a process that comprises crossing a first parent melon plant with asecond parent melon plant, wherein at least one of the first or secondparent melon plants is a plant of melon hybrid SV5845MP and/or melonlines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN. In one embodiment of theinvention, melon seed and plants produced by the process are firstgeneration (F₁) hybrid melon seed and plants produced by crossing aplant in accordance with the invention with another, distinct plant. Thepresent invention further contemplates plant parts of such an F₁ hybridmelon plant, and methods of use thereof. Therefore, certain exemplaryembodiments of the invention provide an F₁ hybrid melon plant and seedthereof.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofproducing a plant derived from hybrid SV5845MP and/or melon linesSPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN, the method comprising the steps of:(a) preparing a progeny plant derived from hybrid SV5845MP and/or melonlines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN, wherein said preparingcomprises crossing a plant of the hybrid SV5845MP and/or melon linesSPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN with a second plant; and (b) crossingthe progeny plant with itself or a second plant to produce a seed of aprogeny plant of a subsequent generation. In further embodiments, themethod may additionally comprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of asubsequent generation from said seed of a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration and crossing the progeny plant of a subsequent generationwith itself or a second plant; and repeating the steps for an additional3-10 generations to produce a plant derived from hybrid SV5845MP and/ormelon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN. The plant derived fromhybrid SV5845MP and/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN maybe an inbred line, and the aforementioned repeated crossing steps may bedefined as comprising sufficient inbreeding to produce the inbred line.In the method, it may be desirable to select particular plants resultingfrom step (c) for continued crossing according to steps (b) and (c). Byselecting plants having one or more desirable traits, a plant derivedfrom hybrid SV5845MP and/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054AN andSPAHK11-0072AN is obtained which possesses some of the desirable traitsof the line/hybrid as well as potentially other selected traits.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method ofproducing food or feed comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of melon hybridSV5845MP and/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN, whereinthe plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b) collecting at leastone melon from the plant.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement ofmelon hybrid SV5845MP and/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054AN andSPAHK11-0072AN is provided. The phrase “genetic complement” is used torefer to the aggregate of nucleotide sequences, the expression of whichsequences defines the phenotype of, in the present case, a melon plant,or a cell or tissue of that plant. A genetic complement thus representsthe genetic makeup of a cell, tissue or plant, and a hybrid geneticcomplement represents the genetic make up of a hybrid cell, tissue orplant. The invention thus provides melon plant cells that have a geneticcomplement in accordance with the melon plant cells disclosed herein,and seeds and plants containing such cells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles,and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic ofthe expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles.It is understood that hybrid SV5845MP and/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054ANand SPAHK11-0072AN could be identified by any of the many well knowntechniques such as, for example, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms(SSLPs) (Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1 8:6531-6535, 1990),Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNA AmplificationFingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs),Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified FragmentLength Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858, specifically incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety), and Single NucleotidePolymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., Science, 280:1077-1082, 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybridgenetic complements, as represented by melon plant cells, tissues,plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid geneticcomplement of a melon plant of the invention with a haploid geneticcomplement of a second melon plant, preferably, another, distinct melonplant. In another aspect, the present invention provides a melon plantregenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybrid geneticcomplement of this invention.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a method ofdetermining the genotype of a plant of melon hybrid SV5845MP and/ormelon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN comprising detecting inthe genome of the plant at least a first polymorphism. The method may,in certain embodiments, comprise detecting a plurality of polymorphismsin the genome of the plant. The method may further comprise storing theresults of the step of detecting the plurality of polymorphisms on acomputer readable medium. The invention further provides a computerreadable medium produced by such a method.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of theinvention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unlessspecifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standarddeviation of the mean for the device or method being employed todetermine the value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used tomean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives onlyor the alternatives are mutually exclusive. When used in conjunctionwith the word “comprising” or other open language in the claims, thewords “a” and “an” denote “one or more,” unless specifically notedotherwise. The terms “comprise,” “have” and “include” are open-endedlinking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more of these verbs, suchas “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes” and“including,” are also open-ended. For example, any method that“comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more steps is not limited topossessing only those one or more steps and also covers other unlistedsteps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one ormore traits is not limited to possessing only those one or more traitsand covers other unlisted traits.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and any specificexamples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants,seeds and derivatives of melon hybrid SV5845MP, melon lineSPAHK11-0054AN and melon line SPAHK11-0072AN. The hybrid SV5845MP wasproduced by the cross of parent lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN.The parent lines show uniformity and stability within the limits ofenvironmental influence. By crossing the parent lines, uniform seedhybrid SV5845MP can be obtained.

Hybrid SV5845MP is a Piel de Sapo-type and is believed to be the firstvariety in this type with introgressed tolerance to CYSDV in homozygousformation on chromosome 9. The variety is resistant to Px races 1,2,5and 3-5, Fusarium 0 and 1, MNSV, aphids and CYSDV. The variety hasmedium sized fruits, and is suitable for medium sowings. The variety isspecially developed for regions with high pressure of CYSDV. Under suchkind of pressure, melon plants not tolerant of CYSDV infection canbecome infected with the virus and become yellow, which can have greatimpact on the quality and quantity of the melon fruit crop yield.Varieties with introgressed CYSDV tolerance on chromosome 9 maintainplant vigor despite the presence of CYSDV, which gives the grower highersecurity for harvesting high quality fruits. See for description ofmethods and compositions of CYSDV tolerance on chromosome 9. The varietyhas the standard resistances which is needed to grow it in most of themajor growing areas (Px 1,2,5, Fom 0, 1, and MNSV) and also showsresistance to aphids and Px 3-5.

A. ORIGIN AND BREEDING HISTORY OF MELON HYBRID SV5845MP

The parents of hybrid SV5845MP are SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN.The parent lines are uniform and stable, as is a hybrid producedtherefrom. A small percentage of variants can occur within commerciallyacceptable limits for almost any characteristic during the course ofrepeated multiplication. However no variants are expected.

B. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MELON HYBRIDSV5845MP, MELON LINE SPAHK11-0054AN AND MELON LINE SPAHK11-0072AN

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a plant having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of melon hybrid SV5845MP and the parent lines thereof. Adescription of the physiological and morphological characteristics ofsuch plants is presented in Tables 1-3.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of HybridSV5845MP Comparison Variety- CHARACTERISTIC SV5845MP HAVANA 1. Type pielde sapo piel de sapo 2. Area of best adaptation in the U.S.A. most areasmost areas 3. Seedling length of hypocotyl (just before medium mediumdevelopment of the first true leaf) size of cotyledon medium mediumintensity of green color of light light cotyledon 4. Leaf (mature bladeof third leaf) shape orbicular-reniform orbicular-reniform lobes notlobed not lobed color medium green medium green length 99.4 mm 85.53 mmwidth 119.4 mm 116.6 mm surface pubescent pubescent 5. Leaf Blade (fullydeveloped but not old leaves, preferably between the 5^(th) and 8^(th)node when the plant has at least 11 nodes) size large large intensity ofgreen color light light development of lobes medium medium dentation ofmargin weak weak blistering medium medium 6. Petiole attitude semi-erectsemi-erected length medium medium time of male flowering medium late 7.Plant fertility - sex expression (at full andro-monoeciousandro-monoecious flowering) habit vine vine 8. Young fruit (green,unripe fruit before color change) hue of green color of skin green greenintensity of green color of skin dark dark density of dots very densevery dense size of dots small small contrast of dot color/ground colormedium medium length of peduncle medium medium thickness of peduncle 1cm from medium medium fruit extension of darker area around mediummedium peduncle 9. Fruit length medium long length (at edible maturity)23.88 cm 26.40 cm diameter very broad very broad diameter (at ediblematurity) 16.10 cm 17.3 cm ratio length/diameter small to medium mediumweight (at edible maturity) 3687 gm 4435 gm position of maximum diameterat middle at middle shape in longitudinal section broad elliptic broadelliptic surface (at edible maturity) netted-corrugatednetted-corrugated blossom scar (at edible maturity) conspicuousconspicuous rib presence (at edible maturity) absent absent number ofribs per fruit (at edible  0  0 maturity) shipping quality (at ediblematurity) fair excellent abscission (at edible maturity) when overripedo not abscise maturity (number of days from 129 129 seeding to harvest)ground color of skin green green intensity of ground color of skin darkdark hue of ground color of skin greenish greenish density of dots densedense size of dots small small color of dots yellow intensity of colorof dots medium density of patches medium size of patches large wartsabsent strength of attachment of peduncle weak strong at maturity shapeof base rounded rounded-truncate shape of apex rounded rounded size ofpistil scar medium small cork formation present present thickness ofcork layer medium medium pattern of cork formation linear and nettedlinear and netted density of pattern of cork formation medium mediumwidth of flesh in longitudinal thick thick section (at position ofmaximum fruit diameter) main color of flesh greenish white greenishwhite firmness of flesh medium medium time of ripening medium mediumshelf life of fruit medium long 10. Flesh color near cavity (at ediblecream green cream green maturity) RHS Color Chart value 2D 1D color incenter (at edible maturity) cream green cream green RHS Color Chartvalue 2D 1D color near rind (at edible maturity) cream green cream greenRHS Color Chart value 2D 1D refractometer % soluable solids 16.33%13.76% (center of flesh) aroma (at edible maturity) faint absent flavor(at edible maturity) mild mild 11. Seed Cavity length 186 mm 195 mmwidth 79.67 mm 71.2 mm shape in cross section circular triangular 12.Seed (fully developed and dry seeds, after washing and drying in theshade) length long medium width broad medium shape not pine-nut shapednot pine-nut shaped color cream yellow cream yellow intensity of colordark light number of seeds per fruit 485 614 grams per 1,000 seeds 49.05gm 49.63 gm 13. Rind net: presence abundant abundant net: distributioncovers entire fruit covers entire fruit net: coarseness medium coarsemedium coarse net: interlacing some some net: interstices shallowshallow texture: soft, firm or hard firm firm thickness at medial 7.1 mm6.30 mm net color (at edible maturity) buff buff RHS color chart value11B 11B primary color (at edible maturity) buff buff RHS color chartvalue 139A 137A mottling color (at edible maturity) buff buff RHS colorchart value 139A 137A 14 Resistances to pests and diseases: Fusariumoxysporum f. sp. melonis present (Fom) race 0 Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.melonis present (Fom) race 1 Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis absent(Fom) race 2 Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis absent race (Fom) 1-2Aphis gossypii (Ag)9 present Muskmelon Necrotic Spot Virus present(MNSV) race E₈ Sphaerotheca fuliginea intermediate (Podosphaera xanthii)(powdery mildew) (Sf) race 1 Sphaerotheca fuliginea intermediate(Podosphaera xanthii) (powdery mildew) (Sf) race 2 Sphaerothecafuliginea intermediate (Podosphaera xanthii) (powdery mildew) (Sf) race5 Erysiphe cichoracearum intermediate (Golovinomyces cichoracearum)(powdery mildew) (Sf) race 1 Zucchini yellow mosaic virus absent (ZYMV)race F Papaya ringspot virus (PRV) race absent GVA Papaya ringspot virus(PRV) race absent E₂ Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) absent *These aretypical values. Values may vary due to environment. Other values thatare substantially equivalent are also within the scope of the invention.

TABLE 2 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of LineSPAHK11-0054AN Comparison Variety- CHARACTERISTIC SPAHK11-0054ANHAVANA 1. Type piel de sapo piel de sapo 2. Area of best adaptation inthe U.S.A. most areas most areas 3. Seedling intensity of green color oflight light cotyledon 4. Leaf (mature blade of third leaf) shapeorbicular-ovate orbicular-reniform lobes not lobed not lobed colormedium green medium green length 85.64 mm 85.53 mm width 113.78 mm 116.6mm surface pubescent pubescent 5. Leaf Blade (fully developed but notold leaves, preferably between the 5^(th) and 8^(th) node when the planthas at least 11 nodes) size large large intensity of green color mediumlight development of lobes medium medium length of terminal lobe longmedium 6. Petiole attitude semi-erect semi-erected length medium medium7. Plant fertility - sex expression (at full andro-monoeciousandro-monoecious flowering) habit vine vine 8. Young fruit (green,unripe fruit before color change) hue of green color of skin green greenintensity of green color of skin dark dark density of dots dense verydense size of dots small small contrast of dot color/ground color mediummedium length of peduncle medium medium thickness of peduncle 1 cm frommedium medium fruit extension of darker area around medium mediumpeduncle 9. Fruit length medium long length (at edible maturity) 21.1 cm26.40 cm diameter very broad very broad diameter (at edible maturity)15.12 cm 17.3 cm ratio length/diameter small to medium medium weight (atedible maturity) 2786 gm 4435 gm position of maximum diameter at middleat middle shape in longitudinal section broad elliptic broad ellipticsurface (at edible maturity) netted-corrugated netted-corrugated blossomscar (at edible maturity) conspicuous conspicuous rib presence (atedible maturity) absent absent number of ribs per fruit (at edible  0  0maturity) shipping quality (at edible maturity) poor excellentabscission (at edible maturity) do not abscise do not abscise maturity(number of days from 129 129 seeding to harvest) ground color of skingreen green intensity of ground color of skin dark dark hue of groundcolor of skin greenish greenish density of dots dense dense size of dotssmall small color of dots yellow intensity of color of dots mediumdensity of patches medium size of patches medium warts absent strengthof attachment of peduncle very strong strong at maturity shape of basepointed-rounded rounded-truncate shape of apex rounded rounded size ofpistil scar large small creasing of surface medium cork formationpresent present thickness of cork layer thin medium pattern of corkformation linear and netted linear and netted density of pattern of corkformation medium medium width of flesh in longitudinal thick thicksection (at position of maximum fruit diameter) main color of fleshgreenish white greenish white firmness of flesh medium medium time ofripening medium medium shelf life of fruit short long 10. Flesh colornear cavity (at edible cream green cream green maturity) RHS Color Chartvalue 150D 1D color in center (at edible maturity) cream green creamgreen RHS Color Chart value 150D 1D color near rind (at edible maturity)cream green cream green RHS Color Chart value 150D 1D refractometer %soluable solids 15.13% 13.76% (center of flesh) aroma (at ediblematurity) absent absent flavor (at edible maturity) mild mild 11. SeedCavity length 163.33 mm 195 mm width 69.86 mm 71.2 mm shape in crosssection triangular triangular 12. Seed (fully developed and dry seeds,after washing and drying in the shade) length medium medium widthmedium-broad medium shape pine-nut shaped not pine-nut shaped colorcream yellow cream yellow intensity of color light light number of seedsper fruit 440 614 grams per 1,000 seeds 37.26 gm 49.63 gm 13. Rind net:presence abundant abundant net: distribution covers entire fruit coversentire fruit net: coarseness fine medium coarse net: interlacing somesome net: interstices shallow shallow texture: soft, firm or hard firmfirm thickness at medial 6.39 mm 6.30 mm net color (at edible maturity)buff buff RHS color chart value 196B 11B primary color (at ediblematurity) buff buff RHS color chart value 189A 137A mottling color (atedible maturity) buff buff RHS color chart value 189A 137A *These aretypical values. Values may vary due to environment. Other values thatare substantially equivalent are also within the scope of the invention.

TABLE 3 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of LineSPAHK11-0072AN Comparison Variety- CHARACTERISTIC SPAHK11-0072ANHavana 1. Type Piel de Sapo Piel de Sapo 2. Area of best adaptation inthe U.S.A. most areas most areas 3. Seedling intensity of green color oflight light cotyledon 4. Leaf (mature blade of third leaf) shapeorbicular bicular-reniform lobes not lobed not lobed color medium greenmedium green length 76.53 mm 85.53 mm width 89.13 mm 116.6 mm surfacepubescent pubescent 5. Leaf Blade (fully developed but not old leaves,preferably between the 5^(th) and 8^(th) node when the plant has atleast 11 nodes) size medium large intensity of green color medium lightdevelopment of lobes strong medium length of terminal lobe long mediumdentation of margin strong weak blistering medium medium 6. Petioleattitude horizontal semi-erected length medium medium 7. Plantfertility - sex expression (at full andro-monoecious andro-moneciousflowering) habit vine vine 8. Young fruit (green, unripe fruit beforecolor change) hue of green color of skin green green intensity of greencolor of skin medium dark density of dots dense very dense size of dotsmedium small contrast of dot color/ground color strong medium length ofpeduncle medium medium thickness of peduncle 1 cm from medium mediumfruit extension of darker area around small medium peduncle 9. Fruitlength medium long length (at edible maturity) 19.94 cm 26.40 cmdiameter broad very broad diameter (at edible maturity) 14.34 cm 17.3 cmratio length/diameter small to medium medium weight (at edible maturity)2244 gm 4435 gm position of maximum diameter at middle at middle shapein longitudinal section broad elliptic broad elliptic surface (at ediblematurity) netted-corrugated netted-corrugated blossom scar (at ediblematurity) conspicuous conspicuous rib presence (at edible maturity)absent absent number of ribs per fruit (at edible  0  0 maturity)shipping quality (at edible maturity) fair excellent abscission (atedible maturity) do not abscise do not abscise maturity (number of daysfrom 129 129 seeding to harvest) 10. Rind net: presence abundantabundant net: distribution covers entire fruit covers entire fruit net:coarseness medium coarse medium coarse net: interlacing some some net:interstices shallow shallow texture: soft, firm or hard firm firmthickness at medial 7.96 mm 6.30 mm primary color (at edible maturity)buff buff RHS color chart value 139A 137A mottling color (at ediblematurity) buff buff RHS color chart value 139A 137A net color (at ediblematurity) buff buff RHS color chart value 11B 11B primary color (at fullmaturity) buff RHS color chart value 137D net color (at full maturity)buff RHS color chart value 11B 11. Fruit ground color of skin greengreen intensity of ground color of skin dark dark hue of ground color ofskin greenish greenish density of dots medium dense size of dots mediumsmall color of dots yellow intensity of color of dots dark density ofpatches dense size of patches large warts absent strength of attachmentof peduncle very strong strong at maturity shape of base roundedrounded-truncated shape of apex rounded rounded size of pistil scarsmall small creasing of surface absent or very weak cork formationpresent present thickness of cork layer medium medium pattern of corkformation linear and netted linear and netted density of pattern of corkformation medium medium width of flesh in longitudinal medium thicksection (at position of maximum fruit diameter) main color of fleshgreenish white greenish white firmness of flesh medium medium 10. Fleshcolor near cavity (at edible cream-green cream-green maturity) RHS ColorChart value 2D 1D color in center (at edible maturity) cream-greencream-green RHS Color Chart value 2D 1D color near rind (at ediblematurity) cream-green cream-green RHS Color Chart value 2D 1Drefractometer % soluable solids 15.13% 13.76% (center of flesh) aroma(at edible maturity) absent absent flavor (at edible maturity) mild mild11. Seed Cavity length 139.33 mm 195 mm width 63.46 mm 71.2 mm shape incross section circular triangular length long medium width broad mediumshape not pine-nut shape not pine-nut shape color cream yellow creamyellow only varieties with cream yellow dark light seed color: intensityof color Time of female flowering late medium-late Time of ripeningmedium medium Shelf life of fruit medium long Measurements (number ofseeds per 257 614 fruit) Measurements (grams per 1,000 40.83 gm 49.63 gmseeds) *These are typical values. Values may vary due to environment.Other values that are substantially equivalent are also within the scopeof the invention.

C. BREEDING MELON PLANTS

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for producing seedof melon hybrid SV5845MP involving crossing melon lines SPAHK11-0054ANand SPAHK11-0072AN. Alternatively, in other embodiments of theinvention, hybrid SV5845MP, line SPAHK11-0054AN, or line SPAHK11-0072ANmay be crossed with itself or with any second plant. Such methods can beused for propagation of hybrid SV5845MP and/or the melon linesSPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN, or can be used to produce plants thatare derived from hybrid SV5845MP and/or the melon lines SPAHK11-0054ANand SPAHK11-0072AN. Plants derived from hybrid SV5845MP and/or the melonlines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN may be used, in certainembodiments, for the development of new melon varieties.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties iswell known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varietiesmay be created by crossing hybrid SV5845MP followed by multiplegenerations of breeding according to such well known methods. Newvarieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selectingsuch a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines,it may be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibitone or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit thedesired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Once initialcrosses have been made, inbreeding and selection take place to producenew varieties. For development of a uniform line, often five or moregenerations of selfing and selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way ofdouble-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breedinglines without the need for multiple generations of selfing andselection. In this manner true breeding lines can be produced in aslittle as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced frommicrospores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploidembryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments(e.g. colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may be growninto haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. In eithercase, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance with theinvention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with a plantof the invention and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossingtransfers a specific desirable trait from one inbred or non-inbredsource to an inbred that lacks that trait. This can be accomplished, forexample, by first crossing a superior inbred (A) (recurrent parent) to adonor inbred (non-recurrent parent), which carries the appropriate locusor loci for the trait in question. The progeny of this cross are thenmated back to the superior recurrent parent (A) followed by selection inthe resultant progeny for the desired trait to be transferred from thenon-recurrent parent. After five or more backcross generations withselection for the desired trait, the progeny have the characteristicbeing transferred, but are like the superior parent for most or almostall other loci. The last backcross generation would be selfed to givepure breeding progeny for the trait being transferred.

The plants of the present invention are particularly well suited for thedevelopment of new lines based on the elite nature of the geneticbackground of the plants. In selecting a second plant to cross withSV5845MP and/or melon lines SPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN for thepurpose of developing novel melon lines, it will typically be preferredto choose those plants which either themselves exhibit one or moreselected desirable characteristics or which exhibit the desiredcharacteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Examples of desirabletraits may include, in specific embodiments, high seed yield, high seedgermination, seedling vigor, high fruit yield, disease tolerance orresistance, and adaptability for soil and climate conditions.Consumer-driven traits, such as a fruit shape, color, texture, and tasteare other examples of traits that may be incorporated into new lines ofmelon plants developed by this invention.

D. FURTHER EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In certain aspects of the invention, plants described herein areprovided modified to include at least a first desired heritable trait.Such plants may, in one embodiment, be developed by a plant breedingtechnique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of themorphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to a genetic locus transferred into the plant viathe backcrossing technique. The term single locus converted plant asused herein refers to those melon plants which are developed by a plantbreeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of themorphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to the single locus transferred into the varietyvia the backcrossing technique. By essentially all of the morphologicaland physiological characteristics, it is meant that the characteristicsof a plant are recovered that are otherwise present when compared in thesame environment, other than an occasional variant trait that mightarise during backcrossing or direct introduction of a transgene.

Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improveor introduce a characteristic into the present variety. The parentalmelon plant which contributes the locus for the desired characteristicis termed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. This terminology refers tothe fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcrossprotocol and therefore does not recur. The parental melon plant to whichthe locus or loci from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred is knownas the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in thebackcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest(recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent)that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. Theresulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to therecurrent parent and the process is repeated until a melon plant isobtained wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiologicalcharacteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered in the convertedplant, in addition to the single transferred locus from the nonrecurrentparent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the originalvariety. To accomplish this, a single locus of the recurrent variety ismodified or substituted with the desired locus from the nonrecurrentparent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desiredgenetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphologicalconstitution of the original variety. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross; one ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable trait to theplant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristicor trait being altered and the genetic distance between the recurrentand nonrecurrent parents. Although backcrossing methods are simplifiedwhen the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, arecessive allele, or an additive allele (between recessive anddominant), may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessaryto introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desiredcharacteristic has been successfully transferred.

In one embodiment, progeny melon plants of a backcross in which a plantdescribed herein is the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desired traitfrom the non-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of melon the recurrent parent asdetermined at the 5% significance level when grown in the sameenvironmental conditions.

New varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. Thetechnique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrentparents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used toreplace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain moredesirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtaindifferent desirable characteristics from each.

With the development of molecular markers associated with particulartraits, it is possible to add additional traits into an established germline, such as represented here, with the end result being substantiallythe same base germplasm with the addition of a new trait or traits.Molecular breeding, as described in Moose and Mumm, 2008 (PlantPhysiology, 147: 969-977), for example, and elsewhere, provides amechanism for integrating single or multiple traits or QTL into an eliteline. This molecular breeding-facilitated movement of a trait or traitsinto an elite line may encompass incorporation of a particular genomicfragment associated with a particular trait of interest into the eliteline by the mechanism of identification of the integrated genomicfragment with the use of flanking or associated marker assays. In theembodiment represented here, one, two, three or four genomic loci, forexample, may be integrated into an elite line via this methodology. Whenthis elite line containing the additional loci is further crossed withanother parental elite line to produce hybrid offspring, it is possibleto then incorporate at least eight separate additional loci into thehybrid. These additional loci may confer, for example, such traits as adisease resistance or a fruit quality trait. In one embodiment, eachlocus may confer a separate trait. In another embodiment, loci may needto be homozygous and exist in each parent line to confer a trait in thehybrid. In yet another embodiment, multiple loci may be combined toconfer a single robust phenotype of a desired trait.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improvedby backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not betransgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, or viral disease,insect resistance, modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, andaltered nutritional quality. These comprise genes generally inheritedthrough the nucleus.

Direct selection may be applied where the single locus acts as adominant trait. For this selection process, the progeny of the initialcross are assayed for viral resistance and/or the presence of thecorresponding gene prior to the backcrossing. Selection eliminates anyplants that do not have the desired gene and resistance trait, and onlythose plants that have the trait are used in the subsequent backcross.This process is then repeated for all additional backcross generations.

Selection of melon plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent onthe phenotype of a plant and instead can be based on geneticinvestigations. For example, one can utilize a suitable genetic markerwhich is closely genetically linked to a trait of interest. One of thesemarkers can be used to identify the presence or absence of a trait inthe offspring of a particular cross, and can be used in selection ofprogeny for continued breeding. This technique is commonly referred toas marker assisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or otherassay which is able to identify the relative presence or absence of atrait of interest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes.Procedures for marker assisted selection are well known in the art. Suchmethods will be of particular utility in the case of recessive traitsand variable phenotypes, or where conventional assays may be moreexpensive, time consuming or otherwise disadvantageous. Types of geneticmarkers which could be used in accordance with the invention include,but are not necessarily limited to, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms(SSLPs) (Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1 8:6531-6535, 1990),Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNA AmplificationFingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs),Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified FragmentLength Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858, specifically incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety), and Single NucleotidePolymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., Science, 280:1077-1082, 1998).

E. PLANTS DERIVED BY GENETIC ENGINEERING

Many useful traits that can be introduced by backcrossing, as well asdirectly into a plant, are those which are introduced by genetictransformation techniques. Genetic transformation may therefore be usedto insert a selected transgene into a plant of the invention or may,alternatively, be used for the preparation of transgenes which can beintroduced by backcrossing. Methods for the transformation of plantsthat are well known to those of skill in the art and applicable to manycrop species include, but are not limited to, electroporation,microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation anddirect DNA uptake by protoplasts.

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ eitherfriable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogeniccallus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or otherorganized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partiallydegrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them topectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues ina controlled manner.

An efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segments to plantcells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particles arecoated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propellingforce. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten,platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspensionare concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively,immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culturemedium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriatedistance below the macroprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plantcells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, whichcan be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through ascreen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surfacecovered with target cells. The screen disperses the particles so thatthey are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates.Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, and may beused to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system forintroducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique isthat DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassingthe need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. ModernAgrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E.coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations(Klee et al., Bio-Technology, 3(7):637-642, 1985). Moreover, recenttechnological advances in vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated genetransfer have improved the arrangement of genes and restriction sites inthe vectors to facilitate the construction of vectors capable ofexpressing various polypeptide coding genes. The vectors described haveconvenient multi-linker regions flanked by a promoter and apolyadenylation site for direct expression of inserted polypeptidecoding genes. Additionally, Agrobacterium containing both armed anddisarmed Ti genes can be used for transformation.

In those plant strains where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation isefficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and definednature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediatedplant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is wellknown in the art (Fraley et al., Bio/Technology, 3:629-635, 1985; U.S.Pat. No. 5,563,055).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methodsbased on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment,electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, e.g.,Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985; Omirulleh et al.,Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993; Fromm et al., Nature,312:791-793, 1986; Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986;Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988). Transformation of plants andexpression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al.(Plant Cell Rep., 13: 344-348, 1994), and Ellul et al. (Theor. Appl.Genet., 107:462-469, 2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for anygene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers,scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance,nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest.Examples of constitutive promoters useful for plant gene expressioninclude, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expression inmost plant tissues (see, e.g., Odel et al., Nature, 313:810, 1985),including in monocots (see, e.g., Dekeyser et al., Plant Cell, 2:591,1990; Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389, 1990); a tandemlyduplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, the enhanced 35S promoter(P-e35S); 1 the nopaline synthase promoter (An et al., Plant Physiol.,88:547, 1988); the octopine synthase promoter (Fromm et al., Plant Cell,1:977, 1989); and the figwort mosaic virus (P-FMV) promoter as describedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619 and an enhanced version of the FMV promoter(P-eFMV) where the promoter sequence of P-FMV is duplicated in tandem;the cauliflower mosaic virus 19S promoter; a sugarcane bacilliform viruspromoter; a commelina yellow mottle virus promoter; and other plant DNAvirus promoters known to express in plant cells.

A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulated in response toenvironmental, hormonal, chemical, and/or developmental signals can alsobe used for expression of an operably linked gene in plant cells,including promoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., PlantPhysiol., 88:965, 1988), (2) light (e.g., pea rbcS-3A promoter,Kuhlemeier et al., Plant Cell, 1:471, 1989; maize rbcS promoter,Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell, 3:997, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-bindingprotein promoter, Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985), (3) hormones,such as abscisic acid (Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989), (4)wounding (e.g., wun1, Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989); or (5)chemicals such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It mayalso be advantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal etal., EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987; Schernthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988;Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to plants of thisinvention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from anotherspecies, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are presentin the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells bygenetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction orbreeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended torefer to genes that are not normally present in the cell beingtransformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc.,as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which arenormally present and that one desires to express in a manner thatdiffers from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express.Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any geneor DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless ofwhether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The typeof DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is alreadypresent in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a differentorganism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequencecontaining an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding asynthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and couldpotentially be introduced into a melon plant according to the invention.Non-limiting examples of particular genes and corresponding phenotypesone may choose to introduce into a melon plant include one or more genesfor insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) gene, pesttolerance such as genes for fungal disease control, herbicide tolerancesuch as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, and genes for qualityimprovements such as yield, nutritional enhancements, environmental orstress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plant physiology, growth,development, morphology or plant product(s). For example, structuralgenes would include any gene that confers insect tolerance including butnot limited to a Bacillus insect control protein gene as described in WO99/31248, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S. Pat.No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880,275, herein incorporated by reference intheir entirety. In another embodiment, the structural gene can confertolerance to the herbicide glyphosate as conferred by genes including,but not limited to Agrobacterium strain CP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPSgene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435, hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety, or glyphosate oxidoreductasegene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175, herein incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes byencoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targetedinhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example viaantisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Birdet al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991). The RNA could also be acatalytic RNA molecule (i.e., a ribozyme) engineered to cleave a desiredendogenous mRNA product (see for example, Gibson and Shillito, Mol.Biotech., 7:125, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces a protein or mRNAwhich expresses a phenotype or morphology change of interest is usefulfor the practice of the present invention.

F. DEFINITIONS

In the description and tables herein, a number of terms are used. Inorder to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a gene locus, all ofwhich alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cellor organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding locion a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce oneor more single locus conversions from one genetic background intoanother.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor or a chemicalagent conferring male sterility.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited incodominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygoteare readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e.,heritability of 1.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits that are usually continuously distributed.

Resistance: As used herein, the terms “resistance” and “tolerance” areused interchangeably to describe plants that show no symptoms to aspecified biotic pest, pathogen, abiotic influence or environmentalcondition. These terms are also used to describe plants showing somesymptoms but that are still able to produce marketable product with anacceptable yield. Some plants that are referred to as resistant ortolerant are only so in the sense that they may still produce a crop,even though the plants are stunted and the yield is reduced.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed bya plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially allof the morphological and physiological characteristics of a melonvariety are recovered in addition to the characteristics of the singlelocus transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique and/orby genetic transformation.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does notshow a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from themean.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has beenintroduced into the genome of a melon plant by transformation.

G. DEPOSIT INFORMATION

A deposit of melon hybrid SV5845MP and inbred parent linesSPAHK11-0054AN and SPAHK11-0072AN, disclosed above and recited in theclaims, has been made with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC),10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date of thedeposit was Sep. 30, 2014. The accession numbers for those depositedseeds of melon hybrid SV5845MP and inbred parent lines SPAHK11-0054ANand SPAHK11-0072AN are ATCC Accession Number PTA-121629, ATCC AccessionNumber PTA-121626, and ATCC Accession Number PTA-121627, respectively.Upon issuance of a patent, all restrictions upon the deposits will beremoved, and the deposits are intended to meet all of the requirementsof 37 C.F.R. §1.801-1.809. The deposits will be maintained in thedepository for a period of 30 years, or 5 years after the last request,or for the effective life of the patent, whichever is longer, and willbe replaced if necessary during that period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

What is claimed is:
 1. A melon plant comprising at least a first set ofthe chromosomes of melon line SPAHK11-0054AN or melon lineSPAHK11-0072AN, a sample of seed of said lines having been depositedunder ATCC Accession Number PTA-121626 and ATCC Accession NumberPTA-121627, respectively.
 2. A melon seed comprising at least a firstset of the chromosomes of melon line SPAHK11-0054AN or melon lineSPAHK11-0072AN, a sample of seed of said lines having been depositedunder ATCC Accession Number PTA-121626 and ATCC Accession NumberPTA-121627, respectively.
 3. The plant of claim 1, which is an inbred.4. The plant of claim 1, which is a hybrid.
 5. The seed of claim 2,which is an inbred.
 6. The seed of claim 2, which is a hybrid.
 7. Theplant of claim 4, wherein the hybrid plant is melon hybrid SV5845MP, asample of seed of said hybrid SV5845MP having been deposited under ATCCAccession Number PTA-121629.
 8. The seed of claim 6, defined as a seedof melon hybrid SV5845MP, a sample of seed of said hybrid SV5845MPhaving been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-121629.
 9. Theseed of claim 2, defined as a seed of line SPAHK11-0054AN or lineSPAHK11-0072AN.
 10. A plant part of the plant of claim
 1. 11. The plantpart of claim 10, further defined as a leaf, an ovule, pollen, a fruit,or a cell.
 12. A melon plant having all the physiological andmorphological characteristics of the melon plant of claim
 7. 13. Atissue culture of regenerable cells of the plant of claim
 1. 14. Thetissue culture according to claim 13, comprising cells or protoplastsfrom a plant part selected from the group consisting of embryos,meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips,pistil, flower, seed and stalks.
 15. A melon plant regenerated from thetissue culture of claim 13, wherein said melon plant otherwise comprisesall of the morphological and physiological characteristics of the melonplant comprising at least a first set of the chromosomes of melon lineSPAHK11-0054AN or melon line SPAHK11-0072AN, a sample of seed of saidlines having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-121626 andATCC Accession Number PTA-121627, respectively.
 16. A method ofvegetatively propagating the melon plant of claim 1 comprising the stepsof: (a) collecting tissue capable of being propagated from the plantaccording to claim 1; (b) cultivating said tissue to obtain proliferatedshoots; and (c) rooting said proliferated shoots to obtain rootedplantlets.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising growing atleast a first melon plant from said rooted plantlets.
 18. A method ofintroducing a desired trait into a melon line comprising: (a) utilizingas a recurrent parent a plant of either melon line SPAHK11-0054AN ormelon line SPAHK11-0072AN, by crossing a plant of melon lineSPAHK11-0054AN or melon line SPAHK11-0072AN with a second donor melonplant that comprises a desired trait to produce F1 progeny, a sample ofseed of said lines having been deposited under ATCC Accession NumberPTA-121626, and ATCC Accession Number PTA-121627, respectively; (b)selecting an F1 progeny that comprises the desired trait; (c)backcrossing the selected F1 progeny with a plant of the same melon lineused as the recurrent parent in step (a), to produce backcross progeny;(d) selecting backcross progeny comprising the desired trait and thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the recurrent parentmelon line used in step (a); and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) threeor more times to produce selected fourth or higher backcross progenythat comprise the desired trait, and otherwise comprise essentially allof the morphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrentparent melon line used in step (a).
 19. A melon plant produced by themethod of claim
 18. 20. A method of producing a melon plant comprisingan added trait, the method comprising introducing a transgene conferringthe trait into a plant of melon hybrid SV5845MP, melon lineSPAHK11-0054AN or melon line SPAHK11-0072AN, a sample of seed of saidhybrid and lines having been deposited under ATCC Accession NumberPTA-121629, ATCC Accession Number PTA-121626, and ATCC Accession NumberPTA-121627, respectively.
 21. A melon plant produced by the method ofclaim
 20. 22. The plant of claim 1, further comprising a transgene. 23.The plant of claim 22, wherein the transgene confers a trait selectedfrom the group consisting of male sterility, herbicide tolerance, insectresistance, pest resistance, disease resistance, modified fatty acidmetabolism, environmental stress tolerance, modified carbohydratemetabolism and modified protein metabolism.
 24. The plant of claim 1,further comprising a single locus conversion.
 25. The plant of claim 24,wherein the single locus conversion confers a trait selected from thegroup consisting of male sterility, herbicide tolerance, insectresistance, pest resistance, disease resistance, modified fatty acidmetabolism, environmental stress tolerance, modified carbohydratemetabolism and modified protein metabolism.
 26. A method for producing aseed of a melon plant derived from at least one of melon hybridSV5845MP, melon line SPAHK11-0054AN or melon line SPAHK11-0072ANcomprising the steps of: (a) crossing a melon plant of hybrid SV5845MP,line SPAHK11-0054AN or line SPAHK11-0072AN with itself or a second melonplant; a sample of seed of said hybrid and lines having been depositedunder ATCC Accession Number PTA-121629, ATCC Accession NumberPTA-121626, and ATCC Accession Number PTA-121627, respectively; and (b)allowing seed of a hybrid SV5845MP, line SPAHK11-0054AN or lineSPAHK11-0072AN-derived melon plant to form.
 27. The method of claim 26,further comprising the steps of: (c) selfing a plant grown from saidhybrid SV5845MP, line SPAHK11-0054AN or line SPAHK11-0072AN-derivedmelon seed to yield additional hybrid SV5845MP, line SPAHK11-0054AN orline SPAHK11-0072AN-derived melon seed; (d) growing said additionalhybrid SV5845MP, line SPAHK11-0054AN or line SPAHK11-0072AN-derivedmelon seed of step (c) to yield additional hybrid SV5845MP, lineSPAHK11-0054AN or line SPAHK11-0072AN-derived melon plants; and (e)repeating the crossing and growing steps of (c) and (d) to generate atleast a first further hybrid SV5845MP, line SPAHK11-0054AN or lineSPAHK11-0072AN-derived melon plant.
 28. The method of claim 26, whereinthe second melon plant is of an inbred melon line.
 29. The method ofclaim 26, comprising crossing line SPAHK11-0054AN with lineSPAHK11-0072AN, a sample of seed of said lines having been depositedunder ATCC Accession Number PTA-121626, and ATCC Accession NumberPTA-121627, respectively.
 30. The method of claim 27, furthercomprising: (f) crossing the further hybrid SV5845MP, lineSPAHK11-0054AN or line SPAHK11-0072AN-derived melon plant with a secondmelon plant to produce seed of a hybrid progeny plant.
 31. A plant partof the plant of claim
 7. 32. The plant part of claim 31, further definedas a leaf, a flower, a fruit, an ovule, pollen, or a cell.
 33. A methodof producing a melon seed comprising crossing the plant of claim 1 withitself or a second melon plant and allowing seed to form.
 34. A methodof producing a melon fruit comprising: (a) obtaining the plant accordingto claim 1, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity; and (b)collecting a melon from the plant.